Advertising JSS3 Business Studies Lesson Note

Advertising may be defined as a business term or means of bringing the existence of new and old products in the market to the knowledge of the consumers. It is the process by which members of the public are informed about available goods in the market.

Importance/functions of Advertising

1. Advertising  provides information about the goods in the market

2. It enlightens the members of the public about the usefulness of the products

3. It creates awareness

4. It helps the producer to promote the sales of the products

5. It directs potential consumers to where they can easily get the product

6. It helps in publicizing brand names

Media Of Advertising

The media of advertising are:

i.                     Newspaper

ii.                   Television

iii.                 Radio

iv.                 Window display

v.                   Cinema

vi.                 Billboard

vii.                Sales Van

viii.              Posters/leaflets

ix.                  Magazines/journals

1. TELEVISION – this is through audio/visual one in which the people can see the image of the product and be educated on the usefulness of the product.

2. NEWSPAPER – advertising the dailies which usually published daily e.g. The Sun, The Punch, Alaroye, Nigerian Tribune, etc

3. RADIO – this is very common in Nigeria. It is an audio means of advertising. Almost everybody can afford to buy a radio.

4. WINDOW DISPLAY – goods are displayed through the window to attract potential buyers

5. CINEMA – some companies/people move from one place to another and show pictures of real products. It can also be screened before a film show or at an internal during a film show.

6. BILLBOARD – billboards resemble those stickers but they are not the same. Billboard is mounted on solid structures at junctions, roundabouts, and stadiums, to display some important information.

7. SALES VAN – this is a means by which people make use of a motor van that is equipped with radio and loudspeakers to transmit their messages about the products to the buyers through the sales representatives.

8. POSTERS AND LEAFLETS – these contain description, location, address, quality, and other information about the products. Posters are used in open-air places e.g. gates, markets, etc, while leaflets are distributed either in the market from house to house, or in a public arena.

9. MAGAZINES/JOURNALS – this is directed to some group of people. It is printed for circulation weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. It is more expensive than a newspaper because it is usually printed in colour.

FORMS/TYPES OF ADVERTISING

i.                     Informative advertising

ii.                   Persuasive advertising

iii.                 Competitive advertising

iv.                 Direct advertising

v.                   Indirect advertising

1. INFORMATIVE ADVERTISING – informative is carried out to inform the members of the public about newly available goods in the market.

2. PERSUASIVE ADVERTISING – this appeals to customers to patronise a particular product e.g. buy multi-active OMO instead of other detergents.

3. COMPETITIVE ADVERTISING – it encourages the customers to buy a product of a particular brand. Similar products may be available.

4. DIRECT ADVERTISING – it is usually focused on a particular group of people e.g. students, graduates, and workers.

5. INDIRECT ADVERTISING – this is a type of advert that focuses on everybody.

ADVANTAGES OF ADVERTISING

1. It helps to increase the sales of goods

2. It may lead to mass production

3. It creates awareness in the minds of customers

4. It provides job opportunities for people

5. It helps people to choose from the available products

DISADVANTAGES

1. Advertising at times creates confusion in the minds of customers.

2. It may be wasteful if not well-handled

3. The cost may be too expensive

4. It may lead to the loss of the company’s profit.

ADVERTISING ETHICS

1. Respect truthfulness

2. Respect the dignity of each human

3. Respect social responsibilities

Exercise: Describe some media for Advertising.